Sococo Offers A Virtual View for Office Workers

Technology is helpful at work. But sometimes the best thing is to just stand up and peer over your cubicle to see who’s at their desk, who’s on the phone and who’s in a meeting. Sococo tries to simulate that experience–even for people who aren’t in the same office.

Sococo

Sococo’s service simulates an office floor plan

The Silicon Valley startup is one of many companies exploiting the Internet to improve collaboration. It builds on several existing concepts, such as Web conferencing, Internet telephony and instant messaging. Sococo also leans on the notion of virtual spaces, pioneered by companies such as Linden Lab with Second Life.

David Van Wie, a veteran Valley entrepreneur who is Sococo’s CEO, says part of its inspiration came from a time when he and a group of professionals around the country were trying to put together a deal. “We were all sitting around with high-speed computers and networks,” he recalls, with access to advanced conferencing and collaboration tools.

But they kept running into headaches, he says, including making sure all participants had current documents and managing dial-in numbers and passwords for teleconferences. Even knowing who is speaking in an online gathering can be tough. “It was a challenge for us to get on the same page,” Van Wie says.